MeaningA small amount of a plentiful commodity.
Origin Isaiah 40:15. 'Behold, the nations are as a drop
of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance:
behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

MeaningOpposing or adverse positions in close proximity.
OriginMark 3:25 And if a house be divided
against itself, that house cannot stand
Luk 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them Every
kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house
divided against a house falleth.

MeaningA kindred spirit - someone I can agree with.
OriginSamuel 13:14. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath
sought
him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him
to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the
LORD commanded thee.

MeaningMaking many errors
Origin James 5:20: Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner
from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide
a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves:
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

MeaningQuiet, calm, hushed, untroubled. Quiet as the breath of God.
Origin1 Kings 19:12: And he [an angel] said, Go forth, and stand upon the
mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and
strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the
Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake;
but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire;
but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a
still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that
he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering
in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What
doest thou here, Elijah?"

MeaningA persistent difficulty or annoyance. Any impediment which disturbs
body or nature
OriginCorinthians 12:7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest
I should be exalted above measure.

MeaningRetribution and retaliation
OriginFrom the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was King of Babylon, 17921750
BC. The code survives today in the Akkadian language. Matthew 5:38.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for
an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

MeaningVery old.
OriginMethuselah was a Hebrew patriarch who was supposed to have lived for
969 years.
Genesis 5:25 And Methuselah lived an hundred
eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
Genesis 5:26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven
hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
Genesis 5:27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine
hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

MeaningChanged from war to peace.
OriginIsaiah 2:4: They shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall
not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more

MeaningChristians who affirm their strengthened commitment to their religion
are called 'born again Christians'. To be born again is to be 'born of
the spirit', the first birth being the physical birth of the flesh.
OriginJohn 3.3: Jesus answered and said ... Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

MeaningA mark of distinction and love.
OriginGenesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because
he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat
of many colours.
Genesis 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren,
that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat
of many colours that was on him;
Genesis 37:32 And they sent the coat of many
colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This
have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

MeaningA person that knows the right way but fails to
do as they should. Two facedOriginMt 23:2-3 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses'
seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But
do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

MeaningGet your feelings in the open. Doubt and
anger are poor bedfellowsOriginEp 4:26-27: In your anger do not sin : Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not
give the devil a foothold.

MeaningVery determined
OriginIsaiah 50:7: For the Lord Jehovah will help me; therefore have
I not been confounded: therefore have I set my face
like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

MeaningWith faith in God, anything can be accomplished
Origin1 Corinthians 13:2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand
all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity,
I am nothing.

MeaningSomeone who has "feet of clay" is standing tall
and looking good now but is undermined by a serious and ultimately fatal
flaw.OriginDaniel 2:33 [The head of the statue in the King
Nebudchadnezzar's dream] "was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of
silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part
of iron and part of clay. A stone ... smote the image upon his feet
that were of iron and clay, and brake
them to pieces.... This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation
thereof before the king. Thou, O king ... art this head of gold. And after
thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom
of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom
shall be strong as iron.... And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes,
part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided;
but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou
sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were
part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong,
and partly broken.

MeaningDon't give up. Keep trying
Origin1Titus 6:12 Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2Titus 4:7 I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Meaning A force, whether of men, means or other resources.
An army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:--able, band of men (soldiers),
company, (great) forces, goods, might, power, riches
OriginPsalm 84:7: They go from strength to strength,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

MeaningLeave all people, places, things which may cause
temptations or offensesOriginMatthew 16:23: But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get
thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Mark 8:33: But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples,
he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me,
Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but
the things that be of men.

MeaningPressed to the extreme
OriginNumbers 31:23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make
it go through the fire, and it shall
be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation:
and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go
through the water.

MeaningSomeone who helps another in need with no thought of reward.
OriginLuke 10:30-33: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him,
and departed, leaving him half dead. But a certain Samaritan,
as
he journeyed,

MeaningNo matter how great you think you are, there comes along someone better.
OriginSamuel 1:19. The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how
are the mighty fallen!
Samuel 1:25. How are the mighty fallen
in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places
Samuel 1:27. How are the mighty fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!

MeaningNot accepting responsibilityOriginMatthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was getting
nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed
his hands in front of the crowd. "I am
innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"

MeaningTo be filled with hate.OriginMt 14:6-8 On Herod's birthday the daughter of
Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with
an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said,
"Give me here on a platter the head
of John the Baptist."

MeaningGive of yourself in all waysOriginAct 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring
ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to
receive.

MeaningA generous gestureOrigin1Thessalonians 1:3: We give thanks to God always for you all, making
mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, and labour of love, and patience
of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father
Hebrews 6:10: For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour
of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have
ministered to the saints, and do minister.

MeaningTaking advantage of people or situationsOriginIsaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he
openeth not his mouth.
Jer 11:19 But I was like a lamb or an
ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they
had devised devices against me, saying , Let us destroy the tree
with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name may be no more remembered.
Act 8:32 1161 The place of the scripture which he read was this,
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

MeaningGreed or avariceOrigin1Titus 6:10 For the love of money is
the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced, themselves through with many sorrows.

MeaningBe good, respectful to everyoneOriginLev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against
the children of thy people, but thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment
greater than these.
Luk 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou
shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended
in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.Jam 2:8 If, ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

MeaningAll things in moderationOriginDeu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and
fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know;
that he might make thee know that man doth not
live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

MeaningHaving a long-term resentment
OriginMk 6:18-19 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for
you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias nursed
agrudge against John and
wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,

MeaningSpiritual WarriorsOriginLuk 7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under
me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another,
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to
stand.

MeaningChildlike simplicityOriginPsalms 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that
thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?
And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read Out
of themouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

MeaningTo wish someone tranquillity, security,
freedom from disturbanceOriginJoh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within,
and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood
in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Rom 15:33 Now the God of peace be with
you all. Amen.
1Pe 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace
be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

MeaningThere are those that think they know the solutions
to other's problems but don't know the solution to their own problemsOriginLuke 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this
proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever
we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

MeaningPrepareOrigin2 Ki 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the
prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith
the LORD, Set thine house in order;
for thou shalt die, and not live.
Isa 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah
the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith
the LORD, Set thine house in order:
for thou shalt die, and not live.

MeaningA sailor's mottoOriginMatthew 16:1-3 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested
him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening
comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the
morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You
know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret
the signs of the times.

MeaningCausing a disturbanceOrigin1 John 3:12 Do not be like Cain,
who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder
him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

MeaningGive each what is due themOriginMat 22:21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them,
Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto
God the things that are God's.
Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things
that are God's. And they marvelled at him.
Luk 20:25 And he said unto them, Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto
God the things which be God's.

MeaningA person who gets stuck with the blame
OriginLev 16:9-10 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD
and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the
scapegoat
shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement
by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

MeaningScattered all over
OriginJer 49:36 I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters
of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four
winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do
not go.

MeaningAwareness
OriginMatthew 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day:
for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern,
the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the
signs of the times?

MeaningNot getting what you wantOriginEzekial 18:2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning
the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour
grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

MeaningOrthodox behavior
OriginMat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate,
and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: strait: or, narrowMat 7:14 Because strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it.

MeaningStatement worthy of belief usually from the sourceOriginNumbers 22:28: Then the LORD opened the donkey's
mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make
you beat me these three times?"

MeaningObstacle hindering your thoughts, movements,
speechOriginMatthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; you
do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men

MeaningManual labor
OriginGenesis 3:19
"And unto Adam he [God] said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee,
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles
shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

MeaningA person or thing that is very important to you;
a source of prideOriginDeuteronomy 32:10: He found him in a desert land, and in the
waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept
him as the apple of his eye.
Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath
he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you
toucheth the apple of his eye.

MeaningNo doubt, you must believeOriginGalations 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for
an hour; that the truth of the gospel might
continue with you.
Galations 2:14 But when I saw that they walked, not uprightly
according to the truth of the gospel,
I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the
manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles
to live as do the Jews?
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard
the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of the truth of the
gospel;

MeaningThe ability to endure without complaint something
difficult or disagreeableOriginJam 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard
of the patience of Job, and have seen
the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

MeaningA very important person with many good qualitiesOriginMatthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the
earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith,
shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast
out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

MeaningThere is no question, its the way it isOriginDaniel 5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand,
and wrote over against the candlestick upon the
plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw
the part of the hand that wrote.

MeaningPoor communication
OriginMatthew 6:3-4: But when you give to the needy, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done
in secret, will reward you.

MeaningRespect lifeOriginExo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Deu 5:17 Thou shalt not killMat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou
shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of the judgment
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false
witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it
is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself.

MeaningExtreme, to the limit
OriginAmos 8:10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all
your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins,
and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an
only son , and the end thereof as a bitter day.

MeaningVery quickly, suddenly
Origin1 Corinthians 15:52: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in
thetwinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

MeaningEmpty, futile
OriginEcclesiastes 1:9: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity
of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his
labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and
another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also
ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth
about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place
from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are
full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which
shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there
is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said,
See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

OriginDaniel 5:5: Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out
of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king
[of Babylon], and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in
them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of
brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers
of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister
of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand
that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled
him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one
against another.... And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE,
TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath
numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou
art weighed in the balances, and art
found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the
Medes and Persians."

MeaningA lament
OriginThe oldest phrase that has been in every day use in English from its
coinage until the present day appears to be 'woe is me'. This occurs in
the the Bible, Old Testament in Job 10:15 in the form 'woe unto me'.
Job is one of the oldest books in the Old Testament, which dates from about
1200BC, making the phrase 3,200 years old. The first occurrence of
it in English would have been Wycliffe's Bible translation in 1382.
Job 10:15 If I be wicked, woe unto me;
and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion;
therefore see thou mine affliction;
The Bible has several instances of the 'woe is me' version of
the phrase: Psalms 120:5. Woe is me,
that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! Isaiah 6:5.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Jeremiah
4:31. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish
as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter
of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe
is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

MeaningUnerasable
Origin2Co 3:3: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle
of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of
the living God; not in tables of stone
but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden
manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone
a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth
it.

MeaningHard hearted, uncaring, unfeeling
Origin1Sa 25:37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was
gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart
died within him, and he became as a stone .

Job 41:24 His heart is as firm as a stone;
yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone .

MeaningPro and con
Origin2Ch 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one
on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name
of that on the right hand Jachin , and the name of that on the left Boaz.
Jachin: that is, He shall establish Boaz: that is, In it is strength

Neh 4:17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,
with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in
the work, and with the other hand held a weapon .

Eze 21:16 Go thee one way or other, either
on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set

MeaningTrust; believe without seeing
OriginJoh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:
and
be not faithless, but believing.Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and
my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen
me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have
not seen, and yet have believed.

MeaningDepart indignantly or disdainfully
OriginMatthew 10:14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake the dust off your feet when you leave
that home or town.
Mar 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when
ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet
for a testimony against them.
Luke 9:5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that
city, shake off the very dust from your feet
as a testimony against them.”
Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their
feet against them and came unto Iconium.